TROY, NY (April 8, 2023) -- Senior
Jaidyn Appel posted the best height in Division III this spring in the high jump Saturday, as the Tufts University women's track and field squad won a tri-meet with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Bates College in action from the East Campus Athletic Village.
Appel, the reigning NCAA champion in the high jump, highlighted the day's action for the Jumbos as she cleared 1.72 meters to earn the victory and establish a new Division III height to beat this spring. Appel's win was one of seven victories on the day for Tufts, which earned the victory with 86 points to the 66 from RPI and 47 from Bates.
Appel wasn't the only Jumbo that tossed down a NCAA Division III mark to lead the country Saturday, as
Lia Rotti established a new national leading distance in the triple jump of 12.09 meters for the victory.
Sophomore
Emma Smith was a winner Saturday in the 400 meters, posting a New England Championships qualifying time of 59.67 to earn the victory. Smith would double up with another win in the 400 meter hurdles, running a time of 1:05.18 for the victory. Junior
Campbell Devlin was second with a season-best time of 1:05.30 in the 400 hurdles, and
Antonia Knoth was third after sprinting to a 1:06.26.
Lexi Dean was another winner for the Jumbos in the 3000m steeplechase, as the first-year standout ran a collegiate-best 11:52.57 for a New England Regionals and NESCAC qualifying time.
Sophomore
Nyla Thompson posted a spring-best height of 3.30 meters for the victory in the pole vault, tying with teammate
Lia Rotti who also cleared 3.30 meters for a share of the win. In the long jump,
Jordan Andrew picked up a win with a distance of 5.43 meters, while teammate
Jen Rotti took second after logging a jump of 5.27 meters.
In the 100 meter dash,
Kalembwe Chomba ran a NESCAC-qualifying time of 13.81 seconds to take fourth place, and
Anne-Sophie Janssen was fifth after running a 27.50 in the 200 meter dash.
Carly Rinko finished third overall in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:22.26, and
Grace Ogden led the way for Tufts in the 1500 meter run with a fourth-place finish after clocking in with a season-best 4:54.26.
Kira Rosen and
Kendall Roberts each scored for Tufts in the 5000 meters, as Rosen just edged Roberts for third place with a time of 19:25.40 while her teammate finished with a 19:25.95.
Junior Madelyn Silveira was third in the 100 hurdle preliminaries, running a 16.53, and the 4x100 relay of Lia and
Jen Rotti, Silveira and Andrew was second in a time of 52.69. Junior
Harper Meek posted a personal-best 1.58 meter mark in the high jump to take second.
In the shot put, Elizabeth Graham took second place with a new personal-best toss of 10.57 meters. Teammate
Ravyn Tammiruusu was second in the discus with a throw of 34.54, while Graham was also runner-up in the hammer throw with a mark of 39.81 meters. Sophomore
Maja Nielsen was third as well in the hammer with a new PR of 37.41 meters.
Junior
Sydney Spivy was second in the javelin after recording a throw of 28.37 meters, and
Jen Rotti took third with a 27.04 meter mark.
Tufts will head to the Carla Coffey Invitational Friday, April 14 at Smith College, while also sending some runners to the Connecticut College Silfen Elite Distance Meet the day day in New London, CT.
--JUMBOS--
